To my fellow Loric readers, especially to those Navrina shippers, I would like to dedicate this special two-shot not only to you, but to the people who love their friends unfathomably. You are wonderful people to do this. I, myself, for one, believe that friendship love is beautiful, and people should not underestimate it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lorien Legacies, nor its characters. They belong to Pittacus Lore.
Note: 10 months (before present)
"Just kill me," he says.
Those are not the words I am supposed to hear from his mouth. It makes him foreign to me, which is weird because I have known him half of my life. Nonetheless, I am hearing them: raspy, but clear.
A strange feeling captures my legs, making it weak and quickly as it appears, it spreads throughout my body. I want to collapse. The world's thick crust should open and swallow me up. But how could that happen if I am in a hospital building, several floors above sea level?
This wonderful boy before me does not know what he's saying. He must be going crazy, the tumor eating is brain up. Yet, somehow it seems that he has got some sense in his words. And no matter how painful it is to me and it is to him, I have no right to interfere.
A year
He runs along the riverbank; joyful and wild. While I am here, running along like a limping dog after his fast strides.
I stop, not wanting to run further as his figure starts to minimize. "Wait Veen!" I bend down and let out a shaky breath. My lungs burn and my feet goes numb that I have to sit on the nearest boulder.
Ever since Naveen learned to drive, twice a month we'd go on an adventure that money couldn't buy. I am not convinced how running in an off-limits forest would make it priceless.
I can still hear Naveen's feet hitting the rocky path. He is already yards away from me, but he stops and looks over his shoulder. Even in this distance, my already abused lungs lost more air. Naveen hopelessly makes me want to smile and blush. His handsome face, natural build and charming personality, it is difficult not to feel something strange for him. And he is my best friend.
He runs towards me, and in a few seconds he is already beside me. "Come on slowpoke." He jumps up and down. We have been running for fifteen minutes. How he stays this energetic?
"Your curly hair must conduct electricity to make you tireless. So I am sorry for being normal."
Naveen laughs, taking my hand to pull me to my feet. "You are not normal."
I roll my eyes. "Right," I breathe. "Abnormal."
He shakes his head. His hand is still holding mine.
The next happened made me yelp. Naveen faces the other way, takes my other hand, pulling it over his shoulders. Now it looks like I was hugging him from behind.
"What on earth are you doing?"
"Carrying you." He turns slightly to wink.
A sudden source of heat from my heart overcomes me with another ticklish feeling that he can only provide. Melting on the spot would be nice to avoid this embarrassment.
"Come on," he insists and I climb onto his back. His arms slipping under the back of my knees, making me into a human backpack.
"Ready?"
I wrap my arms securely as an answer. Naveen dashes off. Like I have said, he has an unbelievable stamina. But after approximately five years of being his friend, this is my first time to witness his ten-soldier-strength.
Within minutes, the path opens into a clearing. Up ahead, an elevated land of twelve feet towers high, a small but amazing waterfall flows downward. The impact on the pool below feels so fresh.
I climb down Naveen's back, we stand side by side, awing on the natural sight. It was not much of what I usually see in movies or tourism ads, but it was enough to make me excited. Naveen, on the other hand, grins widely from ear to ear.
"Last one in is ugly as Mr. Ra!" He shouts, taking his jacket and shirt off quickly.
Mr. Ra was our teacher at our sophomore year. He was nasty, I say; always giving unreasonable assignments and having the highest demand for reporting. I am not going to back down on that challenge. I drop our backpack. Forget about undressing to my sports bra and shorts, Naveen is still taking his jeans off. He was wearing beach shorts underneath.
I run to the pool and at the edge, I dive, winning.
The water's cool. My feet can't feel the ground, probably seven feet deep. I swim to the bottom and let my fingertips touch the soft soil. Then I shoot to the surface. My hair covers my face, so I fix it. As my eyes focus, Naveen, shirtless and crazy, is in the air doing a canon dive directed me.
"In the name of holy crap!" I scream, swimming as quickly as I can away from the imminent danger implement by a doofus.
Naveen screams excitedly, not even bothering who will be kill during this process. The moment he splashes against the water, I was just in front of him. The water creates a mini tsunami and hurdles my head.
After a while, he surfaces with a chuckle. He whoops loudly, shaking his head like a dog.
"You are annoying," I call as I struggle to keep my mouth from submerging in the water.
After swimming closely towards me, Naveen smirks. "Why are you still going out with me."
I show him my aplombness, but Naveen knows I am joking inside. I can never be angry with him. "I am not going out with you! I just go with you." I splash him with water. He laughs, swimming away and I after chase him.
In the end of the chase, we settle at the foot of the waterfall. Naveen's green eyes are shining. I know what he wants, but I am scared of falling.
He notices my silence. "It'll be fun."
Fighting the coward inside me, I follow him. Naveen does not go ahead or below me, we climb together. At the top, Naveen shouts at the top of his lungs. "This day is awesome! I hate Mr. Ra for giving me a B+ on my amazingly done report."
I raised an eyebrow at him. Is he still angry about that? He got the highest average in his class despite that B+. I smile smugly at him, even he does not see it.
With a long breath, he urges me to do the same. I have nothing to be angry about.
"Naveen's crazy!"
He gives me a skeptical look, but his eyes tell me he is laughing. "You are going to pay for that."
Before I could say no, he smiles sweetly and grabs my hand, pulling me into a hug. With his strength, he jumps, bringing me along. I know what's going to happen. No amount of description could fit what I am feeling, perhaps the hysterical screaming did the job. With our hands clasped together, we hit the pool of cool clean water.
"I am alive!" I declare as our head breaks out the surface.
"I told you that was fun."
Naveen appears so close to my face, I start giggling. The experience was crazy, but the way the wind kisses your face. The adrenaline pumping? It was awesome!
This is Naveen. He is the definition of fun. He knows what it means to be alive.
Ten months
Stanley Worthington, one of Naveen's great friends, throws a huge party at his enormous condo unit. I mean he has the whole two floors for himself. Everyone in school's got to be there. It was like the party for the end of the world.
I told Naveen I can't come; I have to study for this biology test. Stanley snorted and said something that I could ace it with my eyes close. Actually, I do need my eyes to ace the test, so I was not even a bit convinced. I like biology. I was planning to enroll for a medical school so I have to do more than just good in this subject.
But how could I say no to Naveen, he begged for me to come.
So here I am with Maren at Stanley's kitchen getting some punch. The loud noise blasting through my ears does not make me happy at all. I am starting to get nervous about how will I do at my test.
Like what I have expected, practically the entire school's here. I see people from freshmen to seniors and even people I don't even recognize, making their way that was once a large space.
"Hey, girls!" Stanley appears from the sea of people with an empty cup on his hand. "Liz, looking hot."
Maren's disgusted face does not offend Stanley a bit. He places his arm around her and gesture at the crowd. "Dance, sweetheart. Have some fun."
"You're drunk, Stan," I inform.
Maren leans closer to me, shoving Stanley's heavy arm. "Even in a sober state, he is like that."
"So he is crossed-eyed all the time?"
Maren chuckles as she eyes Stanley, trying to stand straight. "Yup," she says with a click of her tongue. On cue, Stanley falls to the ground, moaning.
I gasp, but no one else is affected by the situation. Maren shakes her head like she is used to this situation.
"I should get him to bed, and take these people out." She starts calling for John, another friend, while trying to haul Stanley. I offer help but she refuses.
"You should go home. Maybe Naveen's drunk too."
Before I could say more, John came to help Maren. We bid each other good night.
Then I start looking for my best friend. I start searching the living room. By the couch, a person is drinking and beside him a couple lip-locking. Nope. I move to one of the rooms. At the first room, the game room, a group of guys are playing billiards. Not here. I move one quickly to the next rooms, he was still not there. After twenty minutes of searching, two girls and a guy bumped me to the side. My shoulder hits the wall, painfully. I have to stifle a groan. I want to tell them to apologize, but they were running the same direction. Then two people push past me, and another one guy too. All of them heading where the earlier people are. I feel something is happening. I follow them.
By the last room at the hall, people crowded by the door. They were shouting something by the words of...never mind. They all sound barbaric.
I have not searched this place, so I move between people not caring if I step their toes. As I reach the door, the sea of people dissipates, showing a clearing into a room. Some people scream cheers?
Despite the noise of the music from Stanley's advanced sound system, I can hear awful sounds of punches. That can't be right. I forcefully push people in front of me, making myself through. And there he is, drenched in sweat and his shirt heavily wrinkled, Naveen shoves a guy in front of him.
This guy, who got a black eye, spat at him. I know him. He asked me out when we were freshmen.
I scream, getting the middle of two of them.
Before the guy could land his intended punch on Naveen, he stops inches short before me. Although his blackened eye is almost swollen shut, his other eye scans me, like he is a mad scientist and I am a fine specimen. I shudder at his stare.
"Well, what'da ya know." He smirks unpleasantly. "Naveen's best friend is here," He announces with an intention to insult Naveen.
Behind me, Naveen clenches his jaw. "Shut up."
He leans forward and grins. "Or what? Your best friend is going to save you?" He has a missing tooth and a bloody mouth. I absently look down. For whatever reason he has done to Naveen, he certainly made my best friend angry.
"So what? You are together now?"
Naveen strides forward. I stop him before he could do anything. He looks at me with tired yet angry eyes. "What are you doing?" He hisses at me. No stench of alcohol present which worries me more.
"Saving you," I say quietly.
"You know what Naveen," he says; his voice mixed with sorrow and grim. Clearly, he is drunk. "You don't deserve her." He looks at me, pitifully. I almost feel sympathy for him and for myself. I can never have Naveen, even I want to.
"You do not deserve her," Naveen says firmly to him. I hug him, making our way out of this crazy room.
"What was that about?" I ask as I am placing a cotton, absorbed of rubbing alcohol.
Naveen winces at the touch. "What did Five want?"
"You," he says hollowly.
"Can you just tell me the story?"
Naveen exhales. I know he is tired, but I am intrigued about this. They were talking about me!
He looks at me at a long time; his eyes searching mine. Expecting a rant, shout, cry or hug, neither come. He pulls me towards him, his lips meeting mine.
Nine months
We have not talked about it, but ever since that night Naveen became distant. He claims that he was drunk and could not remember what happen. I smell no alcohol. I know my senses are not wrong. He was sober and aware. That kiss was real and he is afraid to admit it.
Eight months
Our usual routine ended like it meant nothing. I haven't seen him for a month, which really made my whole system jet-lagged. A week without hearing anything from him is not complete. Because of a kiss, I am losing my best friend? By the way, my last month's exam was just a passing score, but the professor wanted me to represent the school for a competition. Goodness. I thought I was losing luck. Strong hope I could get Naveen's sudden apathy out of my concentration. I am losing him while I am losing myself.
Seven months
"Talk to him!" Maren insists. "This is the first time you guys haven't talked."
"It's not," I argue.
Maren does her you-are-being-stupid look.
"Do you actually say that I have not tried contacting him? Maren, his house is like my second home."
"His parents?"
"Told me they were away."
Maren's enthusiasm disappears.
Maybe Naveen thinks I am a bad person to kiss. That was his first kiss and he hated it. Or he must have known these stupid feelings I have been harboring on him. That might make me a disgusting person. He just kissed me because he pitied me. Maybe Five was trying to warn me. But Naveen would never be that shallow. He would never forget me. Would he?
To avoid repetitive questions, I am going to state the basic details about this story.
Marina and Naveen(Eight) are 16-17 years old.
This story was initially a one-shot, but the whole story, so far, is ten pages in Word. So I divided it instead. I also did have intentions to put this up in a separate story, but I think I wouldn't be able to keep it up.
No particular setting(year or place) in the real life is involved and even the circumstances of sickness. I always make it vaguely understandable so it could adapt to diverse cultures. Once again, this is a work of fiction.
So what do you think? I would love to know your thoughts on this story, reader. It would be nice. Thank you!
PS. updated with minor revision and grammar edit